Crisis hit Oldham have sacked assistant coach Mark Cass for "gross misconduct."

The Roughyeds future has been plunged in to doubt after a troublesome week which saw four of their star players move to Barrow on transfer deadline day on Friday.

Star half-back James Coyle scored four tries for Barrow on his debut in Saturday night's 74-6 demolition of Leigh, while Dave Allen also made his debut. Winger Andy Ballard and centre Danny Halliwell have also swapped Boundary Park for Cumbria, while ex-Roughyed Rob Roberts, who was released a few weeks ago, has also linked up with the Raiders.

Cass, 37, is alleged to have been in breach of club and RFL rules and the Roughyeds have revealed that the case is now in the hands of the governing body.

Chairman Bill Quinn is to sell his 75 per cent shareholding and withdrawing his funding in the process which has left the club in crisis.

Conditioner Martin Roden was named on the bench by coach Tony Benson for the weekend's defeat to Dewsbury, while Benson and chief executive Chris Hamilton are facing a race against time to sign players for the squad ahead of the August 14th deadline.